


someone like me

by veritasLItg



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:15:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29885121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veritasLItg/pseuds/veritasLItg
Summary: Any time Taylor comes to his door with tears in her eyes and a bottle of wine in her hand, Lucas lets her in. He can’t help it – he can’t ever say no to her, even when she drives him crazy. Before he knows it, he finds himself falling for her, against his better judgement. The problem is, she’s too busy chasing other guys to realize that maybe what she needs has been in front of her all along.Written for the LITG FF Writers Discord Gift Exchange!
Relationships: Lucas Koh/Main Character (Love Island)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 25





	someone like me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Blueberry_Cupcakes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueberry_Cupcakes/gifts).



**Taylor** : you up?

 **Lucas** : Yes. What’s up?

 **Taylor** : can i come over? i’ll bring wine

Lucas sighed as he read her message. He should have known. It was the same story every time.

 **Lucas** : Yeah, no problem.

 **Taylor** : great, be there in 20

Forty minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Lucas opened it up to a sheepish-looking Taylor, rocking on her heels with one hand in her back pocket.

She held up a bottle of red wine. “Got your favourite,” she said as she pushed past him into his flat, making a beeline towards the kitchen.

He rolled his eyes as he followed her, watching as she took two tall-stemmed wine glasses out of the cupboard.

“Make yourself at home,” he said dryly. The same joke he made almost every time she barged into his flat late at night with a bottle of wine and a sob story. Which was often.

“Shut up.” She glared at him, then popped the cork off the bottle and poured. She handed him a glass before breezing past him on her way to the living room and plopping herself down onto her favourite chair.

“So what happened this time?” Lucas asked as he sat down across from her. He swirled the wine and sniffed it, then crinkled his nose. “What is this?”

“That cabernet stuff you like so much.”

He gave her a dubious glance before taking a sip, then sputtered. “What the fuck, Taylor?”

She smirked. “Sorry, the store was closed.”

“You could’ve just said you didn’t have anything,” he grumbled. He stood, took her glass from her, and returned to the kitchen. “You don’t have to feel you need to bring wine every time you come over.”

“But it’s so much more fun this way,” she called out with a giggle.

“Did you get a head start?” he called back, looking at the bottle she’d left on the counter. The label said Chateau Bellevue, but the contents were anything but.

“Of course!”

Lucas dumped the bottle's contents in the sink and opened his wine cabinet, grabbing another bottle. He poured two fresh glasses and carried them to the living room, handing one to her.

“Should’ve just brought the bottle,” Taylor admonished with a wink.

He responded with a look that said he didn’t have time for her bullshit, then sat down again, this time giving a satisfied sigh as he tasted the wine.

“Okay, spill.”

“I dumped him.”

“So I gathered. Why?”

She sighed. “The dude couldn’t take a fucking joke.”

“Knowing your jokes, I’m not surprised.”

Taylor glared at him. “Funny. I just cracked a joke about his golf game and he snapped.”

Lucas raised his eyebrows. “Is that it?”

“Well…”

He chuckled. “Poor Rahim. I’m not sure what you saw in him to begin with.”

“Um, have you seen his abs? Besides, dude’s got money.”

“So do I, but I don’t see you falling at my feet.”

She grimaced. “That would be weird. We’re friends.”

“I’m hardly offering, Tay. You would drive me crazy.”

“I think I do that anyway,” she said, grinning widely. She waved her hand dismissively. “But back to Rahim. That wasn’t even the worst of it. We were out at a club, right? So of course, I wore something sexy – you know that red dress?”

“You’ve got lots of red dresses.”

“Yeah, but the one with—”

“Does it matter which one? You wore a sexy red dress, I’ve got it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Priya was complimenting me on it, so I put on a little show for her – did my sexy walk and smoulder move. And you know what Rahim does? He fucking pulls me aside and says he doesn’t like me showing off like that in front of other men. Like, what the fuck? First off, I was showing off for Priya and Chelsea. Second, we were at a fucking club – you’re supposed to dress sexy at a club! And yeah, men are gonna look! It’s natural!”

Lucas chuckled. “You’d think a professional athlete like that would want the arm candy.”

“Right?” Taylor raised her hands in frustration. “Plus, I found out he was talking to some other chick behind my back.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup. Some BMXer with a shit haircut.”

“Well, good riddance, then.”

Taylor retrieved the bottle of wine from the kitchen and poured them each another glass as she continued to regale Lucas with tales of Rahim and all the important qualities he was lacking. It was a familiar story; one Lucas was used to listening to. She was constantly in and out of relationships, then when they inevitably ended, she would come to him to share her woes and drown her sorrows. He didn’t mind, though; that’s what friends were for, and Taylor had been one of his closest friends since university. He would be there for her, just like she had been there for him when his own three-year relationship had ended with his ex cheating on him.

When he walked her to her Uber at the end of the night, she turned and gave him a hug, showing just a flash of the vulnerability that he knew was there under her tough exterior.

“Thanks, Lu,” she said quietly, and he gave her a tight squeeze, lingering an extra second before releasing her.

“You’ll be alright,” he responded.

She smiled brightly at him before getting into the vehicle, and then she was gone.

***

A few months later, they were repeating the ritual. This time Taylor brought him a bottle of Lagavulin scotch – for real this time, she insisted – and she whined about how the guy she’d been seeing had been “too much of a bloke” and only ever wanted to watch football and have a pint with the boys.

“Why were you even dating him in the first place?” Lucas asked.

She sat curled up in the armchair, nursing her scotch. “I dunno. I wanted to try something different, I guess.”

“Different is one way of putting it. Gary is pretty much the complete opposite of what you would usually go for.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that before I started dating him, then?”

“I did,” he smirked, “multiple times. You never listen to me.”

Taylor huffed. “Because if I listened to you, my life would be boring.”

Lucas paused with his glass halfway to his lips and glared at her. “My life is not boring.”

“No?” she leaned forward with a shit-eating grin on her face. “When was the last time you got laid?”

He took a sip of scotch and savoured the burn as it went down. “Just because I don’t sleep around, doesn’t mean my life is boring, Tay.”

“Fine. When was the last time you went on an actual date?” She leaned back again, looking smugly at him.

He paused before answering, trying to work out when the last date he’d been on had been. And who it had been with. A few faces came to mind, blurring together, but it had been so long since he’d given up casual dating as a means of healing his hurt.

“I don’t know,” he finally admitted.

“See? Boring!”

“My life isn’t boring.”

“Then how come you’re always available every time I need to see you?”

That arrow hit its mark, and Lucas had nothing to say in response. It was true, he was always available for her. She and his friend Henrik were two of the only people he ever saw socially. The rest of his life was usually spent working for his father’s company and pursuing his own singular interests on the side. A typical evening for him was often spent alone in his flat, reading a book or watching TV.

“I’ll tell you why my life isn’t boring,” he said, looking pointedly at her. “It’s because I have you in it to keep me on my toes.”

“Oh, please,” Taylor scoffed. “All I’m hearing is that your life is boring, and I’m the only bright spot in it.”

“Keep thinking that if it’s what helps you sleep at night, sweetheart,” he responded.

But her words cut deeper than he would let on, and he wasn’t sure what it was that bothered him so much about it. It wasn’t that his life really was boring; he had lived his wild years and put them behind them, and now he was perfectly satisfied with the life he had. It wasn’t that there weren’t bright spots in his life, either; between her and Henrik, his family, his friends at the rowing club, his motorcycle, and a job he enjoyed, he had plenty to look forward to each morning when he woke up. Yet there was something about what she had said that nagged at the outskirts of his mind as they continued chatting.

By the end of the night, Taylor was plastered, and he wondered to himself why he kept letting her waste good alcohol on these drunken binges of hers. He walked her outside and she hugged him as her Uber pulled up.

“You’re a good friend, Lu.”

He opened the door for her, and she disappeared into the vehicle. As the car drove off, he stood watching it get smaller and smaller in the distance, until it made a turn and was out of sight. A weird feeling had come over him that he couldn’t shake, and he pondered what was different about tonight as he headed back up to his flat.

As he covered the doorknob with his hand, about to push it open, her words came back to him.

“ _You’re a good friend, Lu.”_

“Ah, fuck,” he muttered as he re-entered his flat and his eyes fell upon the lipstick-stained glass she had left on the table.

Friend. That was the moment he’d felt an odd sensation in his stomach, and now coming back into the room she’d been in moments before, smelling her perfume lingering in the air, he realized for the first time that she was more than just a friend.

Her words from earlier in the evening floated back to the forefront of his mind, and he finally realized what had been bothering him. She really was the biggest bright spot in his life.

Lucas liked Taylor – really _liked_ her. But they were just friends, and there’s no way he’d do anything to jeopardize that. He was totally fucked.

***

 **Taylor** : i need you.

Lucas stared at the phone in his hand, his stomach roiling as he looked at the three little words. He knew exactly what they meant, and he didn’t know if he could handle going through this again. Not now that he knew he had feelings for her.

 **Lucas** : ~~I’m sorry, I’m busy.~~

He sighed as he erased the message and tried again.

 **Lucas** : Come on over.

And she did. And although he had seen her plenty of times in the past few months, somehow it hurt just a little bit more knowing she was here after yet another failed attempt at a relationship. It made him feel sick seeing her chasing guy after guy and never finding what she was looking for, while he was watching on the sidelines, waiting for her to come crying to him for comfort. Waiting to see if she’d open her eyes and see him as more than just a shoulder to cry on. Wondering if that was something he’d even want.

Since the night realized he liked her, his feelings had only grown deeper the more he thought about her, looked at her, talked to her. He wanted so badly to be the one at her side, but what if they tried and it didn’t work out? Who would she go to the night she walked out on him?

It was better not to find out.

So he pushed his feelings aside and opened the door to let her inside.

“Hey,” Taylor said quietly, and he swallowed, hating the effect her voice had on him.

 _Get it together, Lucas_ , he thought.

“Hey,” he responded, sensing she wasn’t in the mood for their usual banter. “You alright?”

She sighed loudly. “Yeah. No. I dunno.”

Her hands were empty; she hadn’t brought her usual offering, and he knew that meant things were serious.

“Tell me about it,” he said softly, and gathered her into his arms as tears sprang into her eyes.

“I just don’t get why all the men I date end up being losers,” she cried into his chest. It nearly broke his heart, knowing that this beautiful, strong woman kept chasing after idiots who couldn’t see her for who she really was. They didn’t appreciate what a gift her affections were.

“Shh. It’s gonna be okay,” he soothed, running his fingers over her hair as he comforted her. He led her into the kitchen and sat her down on a barstool, then rounded the counter and got to work fixing her a cocktail. “You can talk to me.”

She sniffled and set her elbows on the counter, resting her chin in her hands. “He stood me up. My fucking awards night was tonight, and he didn’t show.”

Lucas’s eyebrows raised almost to his hairline. What kind of idiot would stand up this smokeshow of a woman? This gorgeous, incredibly smart, friendly, _perfect_ woman?

“What? Why?”

“He ‘forgot,’” she replied, making air quotes with her fingers. “Too fucking busy with work. Something about a breakthrough with the app he’s been working on coding? Fucking gadgets.”

Lucas shook his head in disgust. “You mean on top of his eighty-hour work weeks he’s standing you up on a Saturday night to work on a bloody app? Instead of being there to support you?”

“Right?” she exclaimed. “I’m just an afterthought to him. Work is his true love.”

“I’m sorry, Tay.” He poured her cocktail into a glass and slid it across the counter to her.

“Don’t be,” she grumbled, accepting the drink and lifting it to her lips. “I should’ve known. I should’ve seen the signs from the beginning. Even back then all he would talk about was his technology and shit. I thought it was charming!”

Lucas grimaced, but let her continue her rant.

“I mean, look at you, you work a lot, right?” she said, waving her free hand at him. “But you wouldn’t have forgotten. You’re always there for me.”

His stomach flipped at her words. He was, wasn’t he? He always made time for her. And always would. His work was important, but it would always be there. He couldn’t imagine being so lucky as to be the one she wanted and not make her a priority.

“Yeah,” he responded quietly, “I guess I am.”

“All these guys, and not one of them has the qualities I’m looking for.”

“And what are those?” He was genuinely curious – she had dated all sorts, and he was never quite sure what she saw in most of them.

Taylor held up her hand and began folding her fingers down as she listed off different attributes. “I need a guy who’s confident, funny but knows when to be serious, smart and hardworking but knows how to balance work and play, knows his own mind, doesn’t mind showing me off…”

 _Someone like me_ , Lucas thought. At least, he was pretty sure he only thought it and didn’t blurt it aloud. But when he saw the sour expression on her face and the way her lips were pursed as she stared into her glass, he suddenly wasn’t sure anymore.

She lowered the glass to the counter and didn’t look up at him as she said, “I should go.”

He was alarmed. He didn’t want her to leave, and he certainly didn’t want her to feel she had to avoid him because he had feelings for her. Did he really let that slip?

“Wait, you don’t need to—”

“Sorry, I just—I need to go.”

She wouldn’t look at him as she turned and practically ran towards the door, leaving Lucas staring dumbfounded after her, his chest tightening and his skin flushing with heat. He could have sworn he only thought the words to himself. But what other reason could she have to leave so suddenly?

***

Thankfully, Taylor didn’t keep avoiding him, but Lucas still felt like something was off the next few times they saw each other – until she started dating someone else, and things went back to normal. And then it was just a matter of waiting for the day she would need him again.

It didn’t take long. And Lucas probably shouldn’t have been as relieved as he was, but, well… he couldn’t help it. Things were back to normal, and he’d rather that than having her avoid him.

“You wouldn’t believe this idiot,” she grumbled as she burst into his flat and dumped her purse and jacket on his couch.

Lucas chuckled. “Try me,” he said. He watched as she threw herself onto the chair – her chair, in his mind – and sprawled across it, throwing her leg over the side. She looked so good sitting there, he couldn’t help but let his eyes linger an extra moment before tearing them away and focusing on pouring her a glass of wine instead.

“Everything is a joke to him,” Taylor said, stretching her arm out to accept the glass he offered. “Any time I tried to have a serious conversation, he had to make some sort of wise remark, and then got all sad when I didn’t laugh.”

“I thought you liked funny guys.”

“I do! Just not someone who can’t shut it off!”

“Sounds like an insecurity to me,” Lucas offered. He sat on the couch next to her belongings and leaned back, allowing himself to admire the sight of her sitting comfortably on his furniture. Feeling at home in his presence and in his space.

“Ugh, he’s _so_ insecure. I always felt like I had to reassure him! He even said that he couldn’t believe a girl like me would be into a guy like him!”

Lucas smiled to himself. He’d met the guy a couple times, and he wasn’t surprised. The guy had ‘class clown’ written all over him. He had his funny moments, sure, but dating a guy like that must’ve been exhausting.

“I’m sorry, Tay,” he said, and he actually did a pretty good job of sounding sincere.

“And another thing? He’s such a people pleaser! He just couldn’t say no to people, so he was always off doing things for other people. Baking cupcakes for his neighbour just because a guy she liked didn’t fancy her back, running off to who-knows-where to do who-knows-what for whatever random person happened to have any little bad thing happen to them.”

Lucas nearly choked on his wine as he tried not to laugh. Just the thought of Taylor trying to spend time with this guy only for him to not appreciate what was in front of him and trying to make everyone else happy instead was delicious. He knew he shouldn’t have felt this way, but he couldn’t help it. He hated to see her hurt, but he also took some sort of strange satisfaction in knowing that other guys couldn’t meet her needs.

“Don’t laugh,” she admonished, narrowing her eyes at him. “It’s not funny.”

“Oh, come on, Taylor,” he said, letting his smile widen. “Just the thought of Bobby bouncing around trying to keep everyone else happy and not even realizing he couldn’t keep the most important person happy is kind of funny.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is. It’s like watching a dog chasing its own tail.”

She huffed before taking a sip of wine, and as she pondered his words, her lips slowly turned up into a smile. “Okay, fine, you’re right. God, he really was like a little puppy dog.”

“Right?”

“Can you believe that any time we played a game, he’d let me win?”

Lucas laughed. “Yeah, I can believe it.”

“Ugh, it was so annoying. I wanna beat people fairly, not have them throw the game just to make me happy.”

“I know.”

She looked over at him and raised her eyebrows. “Wanna play chess?”

He smirked. “I’m not taking it easy on you.”

“That’s what I’m talking about! You’re going down, Koh.”

He got up and headed to the cupboard to retrieve his chess set, grinning to himself as he added another quality to the list of things Taylor liked in a man: competitive.

He was competitive, alright, and the stakes had just been raised – Taylor was the prize, and he was determined to make her realize that he was everything she was looking for.

***

Lucas was surprised to hear a knock on his door one night, and even more surprised to see Taylor on the other side. She’d been dating a new guy for a few months now, and he’d almost given up hope that she would break up with him. He’d seemed like the perfect guy – the strong, silent type. Taylor was a lot to handle, but Noah had seemed to find the magic formula. He was serious but with a sneaky sense of humour, was able to give her the attention she craved, was smart, hard-working, and caring. Taylor had seemed to calm down around him, and whenever Lucas had seen them together, they’d looked like they only had eyes for each other. He should know – he only had eyes for her, and it had killed him to see the way she looked at the other man.

He wondered what went wrong.

“What are you doing here?”

“What do you think?” Taylor asked bitterly, holding up a bottle of wine. Chateau Bellevue Saint Émilion Grand Cru. Properly sealed this time, not a prank.

He moved aside to let her in. She took a few tentative steps and looked around his flat, as if she was seeing it for the first time. She barely even noticed as he took the bottle from her hand and carried it to the kitchen.

“Make yourself at home,” he said seriously, without his usual sarcastic tone. She snapped out of it, dropping her handbag on the table as she took a seat – on the couch this time, not her usual chair. He eyed her suspiciously from his spot in the kitchen as he poured the wine. Her leg was bouncing nervously, and her eyes were fixated on the floor.

He carried the drinks to the living room and handed her a glass, then sat next to her on the couch and placed his hand on her knee. Her leg stopped shaking as she looked at his hand, and he could have sworn he heard a sharp intake of breath.

“Talk to me,” he said, his voice gentle.

“I thought – I thought maybe he…” Taylor’s voice trailed off as she choked back a sob and covered her mouth with her hand.

Lucas set his glass on the table and put his arm around her, and she leaned into him, sniffling as she buried her face in his chest. He rescued the wine from her hand just before it could spill over the side, and soon he could feel his shirt dampening with her tears.

He rubbed her back with his free hand and rested his chin on the top of her head as he comforted her, whispering soothing words. It had been so long since he’d held her in his arms, and she fit so perfectly it was almost painful. What on earth had the fool done to hurt her? Taylor was the strongest woman he knew, and he hated to see her like this.

Eventually she lifted her head and wiped at her eyes, and he set her wine glass on the table as he stood. He disappeared into his bedroom and came back with a box of tissues, handing them to her as he took his seat next to her once more, his arm finding its way around her waist.

She dabbed the tissue against her cheeks in a half-hearted attempt to clean the trails of mascara off her face, then blew her nose.

“He cheated on me,” she said quietly, and his heart almost stopped in his chest at the words.

Noah had cheated? On _Taylor_?

Lucas’s blood began to boil, and he wanted nothing more than to go find that bastard and punch him into the next dimension.

“Fuck,” he muttered. “I’ll kill him, I—”

“Lucas…” she said softly, and he turned to her, seeing her shake her head sadly. His anger turned to pain, pain for her and what she was going through.

“Tell me what happened.” He placed a comforting hand on her arm, and she looked at it for a moment before taking a deep breath.

“Hope. He slept with Hope.”

“Who’s Hope?”

“From his work,” Taylor replied, her voice quiet and broken. “I met her at a company party, and she was making eyes at him the whole time. He told me I had nothing to worry about.”

Lucas snorted. “What a fucking bellend.”

“I should’ve known,” she whispered softly. “I should’ve known things were too perfect. He wasn’t what I thought he was.”

“Come here.” Lucas held out his arms and she leaned into his embrace. He held her for what felt to him like only a moment in time, but the clock on the wall indicated otherwise.

“I should go,” she said as she eventually pulled away, wiping once more at her cheeks. “It’s late.”

She began to stand but he grabbed her arm to stop her. His hand slid down until it was holding hers, and he threaded their fingers together.

“Stay,” he said. “You shouldn’t be alone tonight. Stay in the guest room.”

Taylor smiled wanly at him as she nodded her head, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He led her to the room and sat her down on the bed, then left to find her something to wear.

By the time he returned with one of his t-shirts and a pair of joggers, she was curled up in a ball, fast asleep. He left the clothing on a chair, grabbed a blanket, and covered her with it. He brushed a piece of hair back from her face, unable to help himself from gazing at her. Even with splotchy, tear-stained skin, she was so beautiful. She looked younger, more vulnerable in her sleep, and he felt a pain in his chest as he watched her.

Finally, he turned the light off and closed the door behind him, leaving her to her slumber.

***

In the morning, Lucas had put on a pot of coffee and was making waffles – one of Taylor’s favourites – when she stepped out of the bedroom. She was wearing the clothes he’d set out for her, and he gulped, unable to look away from the sight of her swallowed up in his large t-shirt.

“Good morning,” she said as she walked towards him, a small smile playing at her lips. She must be feeling better, already on her way to being the old Taylor again.

It was a good sign, but one that made him nervous – she was single again, and if history were any indication, he would have to move fast if he wanted to confess his feelings before she fell into someone else’s trap. But how soon was too soon?

“Good—” his voice creaked, and he stopped to clear his throat before continuing “—good morning. How’d you sleep?”

She shrugged as she slid onto a barstool across from him. “Off and on. Thanks for the clothes. And the blanket. And everything.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

The coffeemaker beeped, and he was relieved to be able to turn around for a moment. He poured the coffee into two mugs, adding cream and sugar in hers. His hand shook slightly as he stirred, and he swore under his breath.

_Fuck, Lucas, get it together._

“You alright over there?” Taylor teased.

The tone of her voice sent a shiver down his spine, and he flattened his hand on the counter, trying to stop it from shaking as he filled his air with lungs. He turned back to her with a smile and handed the coffee to her, not making eye contact. Instead, he busied himself with the waffle maker, pouring the batter in and watching it sizzle.

“Need any help?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Nah, I got it. Everything’s almost ready.”

“Y’know, I was thinking,” Taylor said after taking a sip of her beverage, “about Noah. He was never the right man for me anyway.”

“Oh?” Lucas’s pulse spiked, and he pretended to busy himself in the kitchen, opening drawers as if he were looking for something. As if he didn’t have everything meticulously organized, and as if she didn’t know that. God, he felt like an idiot right now.

She seemed willing to ignore him as she stared into her mug. “Yeah. He was a bit of a doormat, really. It was fine at first, but I was getting kind of bored.”

“You were?” The words spilled out before Lucas could stop them, and he hoped he didn’t sound too eager. He finally brought his gaze back to hers, looking at her with wide eyes.

“Yeah. And I guess he was too, maybe?”

“That doesn’t excuse the fact that he cheated on you, Tay.”

“I know,” she said, giving him a small smile. She chuckled. “I think what hurts the most is that he did it before I could break up with him myself.”

“Tay…”

“I know, I know.” She waved her hand. “I’m a horrible person.”

“No, you’re not,” Lucas whispered. She wasn’t horrible; he was well aware of her flaws, but he thought she was goddamn near perfect anyway.

Taylor lifted the mug to her lips and looked at him over the rim, just watching him. He felt himself flush and turned his attention to the waffle maker just as it beeped. He placed the fresh waffle on a plate and set it in front of her, pushing a tray of toppings towards her.

“Bon appetit.”

“Thanks, Lu. You’re the best.”

 _You’re the best_. Hearing those words from her lips was like a dagger to the heart. If he were the best, then why couldn’t she open her eyes to the fact that he was standing right in front of her? Why couldn’t she see that all the qualities she was looking for in a man were ones he possessed?

Then again, would that even be enough? What if he asked her out, and she agreed, only to find something wrong with him, too? Would he lose her forever?

“Lucas.”

Her voice shook him out of his reverie, and he looked up to see her pointing towards the waffle maker, which was beeping. He hadn’t even realized he’d gone through the motions of making another one, but now it was ready, and he transferred it onto a plate for himself. He rounded the counter and sat on the stool next to her.

He could feel Taylor’s eyes on him, and his heart beat wildly until he was sure she could hear it in the quiet flat. She was so close, yet so far away, and it was killing him.

“Do you remember that time I was here after I dumped Carl?” she asked suddenly.

His fork was halfway to his mouth, and he froze. Carl. The tech geek who stood her up.

“Which one was Carl?” He was trying desperately to play it cool, not let on that he knew exactly who Carl was. But he did know, and he knew exactly what happened that night.

“Oh, he doesn’t matter,” she said. She was pushing a strawberry around on her plate, poking at it with her fork. “Just what happened after.”

Lucas rubbed his palms on his trousers, trying to hide the fact he was sweating. That had been the night she had walked out suddenly. The night he had realized that when she described her perfect man, she was describing _him_.

“Remind me?”

“I left early. I thought you’d remember.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah, of course.” He grimaced, wishing he could smack himself.

“The truth is,” she said, pushing her plate aside and spinning her stool to face him, “I left because I realized something that night. Something that scared me.”

Lucas looked up at her in surprise. Wait, _she_ had realized something?

“What?” he choked out.

Taylor sighed. “Last night just reiterated something I should’ve known all along, but I’ve been fighting it. Dating anyone and everyone, trying to hide from the truth.”

He stared at her in confusion, not understanding where she was going with this.

She paused, her eyes searching his face, trying to find what she was looking for. She frowned, opening her mouth and shutting it again.

He took a deep breath and placed his hand on hers reassuringly. Whatever she needed to say, he needed to hear, even if it killed him.

“Tell me,” he said.

The words came out so quietly, he almost missed them.

“It’s you.”

“It’s—what do you mean, it’s me?” he asked breathlessly, not daring to hope.

“You’re the one,” Taylor said, still looking him in the eye. “The one I’m looking for.”

Lucas felt like the air had been knocked right out of him and he gawked at her, dumbfounded. Had she really just said what he thought she had? Could she really feel the same way?

When he said nothing, her eyes became glassy with tears and she hopped off her stool.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

His arm sprang out, blocking her path as he came to his senses. He got up and stood in front of her, placing his hands on her upper arms as he gazed intently at her.

“Taylor,” he said firmly, and she slowly lifted her eyes to his. “Do you really mean it?”

She swallowed, then nodded her head slowly. “I didn’t want to see it,” she said quietly, “didn’t want to risk having—”

He cut her off with his lips, pressing them roughly against hers. She let out a soft, surprised gasp, and when she didn’t respond right away, he pulled back, second-guessing himself. She stared at him with wide eyes, and he was about to take a step back when she grabbed his face and kissed him hard. It was like a dream come true, and for a moment he wondered if that’s all it was, a dream, until her fingernails dragged against the back of his neck and into his hair, and his hands found her waist, drawing her closer to him. He moaned softly into her mouth, his lips parting to allow her tongue to touch his. The taste of coffee and strawberries on her lips was intoxicating, and the feeling of her soft, warm body in his arms was everything he could have ever imagined.

For the first time in his life, Lucas felt whole. And it was in that moment that he realized – he didn’t just like Taylor. He was in love with her.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Steph! I really hope you enjoyed this! Writing Lucas has always intimidated me, and then when I started reading your villa fic the intimidation meter completely exploded, but I really had a lot of fun with this. Oh, and thanks for the wine suggestion! 😂
> 
> Many thanks to Amelia for the Lucas advice, and Lauren for beta-reading and just being generally amazing!


End file.
